Apparatus for making molded coverings.



No. 780,843. v PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905.

J. w. WALLACE.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING MOLDED GOVERINGS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 25. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1 WITNESSES: INVENTOR W WW Jo fin W aZZace ATTORNEYS No. 780,843. 7 PATENTED JAN. 24,1905.

' J. W. WALLACE.

APPARATUSFOR MAKING MOLDED GOVERINGS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HWENTOR 70/171 llTZfZillace BY.

ATTORNEYS v 1 cordancewith my invention.

;enlarged side elevation of the same arranged Ling on the line 7 i of Fig. 8. r transverse-section of the same on the line 8 8 is-a'transverse section of thesame on the line. 4 4'of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a like view of the i UNITED STATES Patented January 24, 1905.

PATE T OFFICE.

A-rus FOR MAKING, MOLDED. COVERING-S- I }-.s1 ncIF1cATIoN forming part'of Letters Patent No. 780,84 3, dated January 24,1905.

1 Application filed February 25, 1904. Serial No. 195,166.

1' uillfrcho'm it may concern: I

'Be'it'knownthat'l, JouN W. WALLACE, a citizen of the United States-and a resident of "Rutherfoi-(Ljin the county of Bergen and State of N ew" Jcrsey,'have invented a newand improved Apparatus forMaking Molded (Joverings, of whichthc following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object'of the invention is to provide a newahd "improved apparatus for making 'moldedcoverings for use on elbows, Ts,. valves,andother fittings on steam-pipes, brine- -pipes, and other pipes and articles requiring insulation; the arrangement being such that the-coverings can be quickly and cheaply manufactured and when finished can be conveniently applied and securely fastened in position. A 1

, The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be morefully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims. L

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus arranged-for forming coverings for elbows, Ts, valves, flange-couplings, and pipes in ac- Fig. 2 is an for forming elbow-coverings, the mold being shown open. Fig. {,3 is a like view of the same, showing the mold closed and the insulatingfma'ss' in position in the mold.- Fig. 4

same, showing the mold open' and the covering finished in the mold. Fig. 6 isa perspec-' tive view of the finished elbow=covering. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the moval of'the finished covering, the section be- Fig. 8 is a of Fig. Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the mold for'forming coverings .for flange-couplings, the section being on'the line 9 9 of Fig.

Fig. lis a cross-section of the same on the line 14 14 of Fig. 13..

The pipe (illustrated in Fig. 1) is conneetcd with a boiler or other suitable heat-' supply, andon the said pipe are arranged a number of branch pipes A, A, and A, supporting molds B, B, and B of which the mold B is used for forming elbow-"coverings, (see Figs. 2, 3, 1, 5, and 6,) the mold B is used for producing T-coverings, and thc'mold pipes may be'used on a single heat-supply pipe A for supporting various molds for forming coverings, according to the shape of the fitting on which the covering is to be used;

but, if desired, each mold may have its own independent heat-supply pipe.

.Directly on the heat-supply pipe A or on a branch pipe thereof are exteriorly secured molds B and B, of which the mold B is used for forming coverings for flange-couplings,

(see Figs. 9 and 10,) while the mold B is employed for forming sectional pipe-couplings.

(See Figs. 11 and 12.)

. B is employed for the formation of coverings for globe-valves. Any number of such branch I As the mode offorming coverings for elbows, Ts, valves, and like fittingsisapproximately the same, it suflices to describe the formation of one of the coverings in detail,

and forthe purpose of illustration I have se-' lected theelbow-covering, special reference being bad to Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

The mold B for making the elbow-covering consists of a core (3, which represents or actually is the elbow or similar pipe-fitting, and

with 'the ends of this eore C is connected the branch pipe A, so that the heat from the supply-pipe A passes into the core and heats the same. A mold-frame is connected with the core and consists of'the' end plates (1' and C. fitted against the ends of the core C, the plateC' having an opening for the passage of the branch pipe and the plate 0 having an opening for the passage of a short pipe'A",

i the ends ofthe core by nuts D and 1), screwing on correspondingly-threaded portions of the pipes A and A.

The plates and C are connected longitudinallywith each other by segmental part1- tions C and O and by a bottom or hinge plate (1, on which are hinged segmental wings or pressing-plates 0" and C", which when closed, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, are concentric to the sides of the core 0.

Asbestos, asbestos-cement, mineral wool, or similar insulating material is mixed with water or other liquid to form a plastic mass E, which is placed into the mold and packed against opposite sides of. the core 0 at the time the pressing-plates O and C are in an open position. Immediately previous to placing the mass E in position in the mold a wire or band F is engaged with a notch C formed in the outermost partition-C, and the ends of the wire or band F are then passed through openings C", arranged in the plates (3 and C adjacent to the hinges thereof. The plates C and C are now swung into a closed position by the operator with sufiicient force to press the plastic mass into shape on the exterior surface of the core C with the exception of the parts covered by the inner edges of the thin connecting-partitions C and G, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 4.

In forcing the pressing-plates G and Q into a closed position the plasticrnaterial 1s not only pressed into shape, but the surplus material E is caused to escape through a space left between the adjacent free ends of the pressingplates (1 and G directly above the partitionplate C as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. This surplus material E is readily scraped or trimmed off by a suitable tool. The pressing plates U and C are held in a closed position sufli-' ciently long for the heat within the core C to act on the plastic material, so as to dry and harden the same. When this has taken place, the pressing-plates and O are swung open into the position shown in Fig. 5, and then a strip of canvas is placed over the external surface of the covering still held in, position on the core and glued or otherwise fastened thereto, as. plainly indicated in Fig. 5, and then the covering is removed from the open mold by swinging the opposite sides outward, the canvas on. the top of the covering serving as a fulcrum to allow this movement of the covering which now has its composite mass E, formed of two sections, united by the embedded wire or band- F and by the canvas G. The covering is now complete and can be shipped to any distant place and applied to an elbow of the same size, and when the covering is in position then the ends of the wire or band F are twisted together at the underside of the covering, as plainly indicated in Fig. 6, and.

the ends of the canvas G are glued or otherwise secured to the bottom portion of the covering.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a large number of coverings for elbows of a uni-- form slze can be made in-a comparatively short time, and vthe said coverings can be transported to buildings or other places in which elbows are used of the same size, and each of the said elbows can be readily covered by the proper coveringnin' the. manner above described.

It is understood that coverings are made of different sizes around cores 0 of corresponding dimensions according to the differentsized standard elbows now in use.

I In making a T-coverin'g a T-shaped cor the mold-casing, consisting of parallel end plates, a bottom plate, and lon'gitudinally-disposed partitions and pressing-plates, incloses the T, the pipe A extending through the bottom plate between the hinges for the pressing-plates C and C and the pipes A passing through the end plates into the ends of the T. A wire or band, ofwhich preferably two are now employed. is embedded in the plastic mass previous to closing the wings or pressing-plates, the same as above described relative to the elbow.

The covering for the valve 13 (shown in Figs. 1, 7, and 8) is similarly made, so that further detailed description thereof is not deemed necessary.

, For making coverings for flange-couplings,

as illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, the covering is preferably made in two sections, each section bein roduced in amold having bottom plates H, provided with depending lugs H, for bolting or otherwise securing the mold in place on the pipe A. (See Figs. 1 and 9.) On the bottom plates is secured a core-wall H of a size for conveniently accommodating one-half of the flange-coupling, and on the said bottom plates H are hinged pressingplates H and H, approximately concentric to the core'wall H and adapted to rest near their outer ends on transverse flanges H, extending integrally from the core-wall H near the outer end thereof, as plainly indicated in Fig. 10. On the bottom plates H, between the core-wall H and. the pressing-plate H is formed integrally a longitudinally-extending lug H", and a similarly-shaped longitudinal groove o'r recess H is formed in the bottom plates between the core-wall and the other pressing-plate, H.

When the wire or band and the plastic material are in position, then the plates H and H are closed and held in this position until the plastic material has dried and hardened, and then the plates H and H are swung open and the sectional covering is removed from wed-mag When fitting two covering-sections together,

the groove of one engages the tongue of the other, so that the two covering-sections are securely interlocked while in position on the flange.

It is understood that the core-plate H is so shaped that the nuts and heads of the bolts for fastening the flanges or flange-couplings together are not touched by the covering when placed in position on the flange-coupling, and the pipe ends connected with each other by the flanges of the coupling are engaged by the ends of the covering, which fit snugly thereon, owing to the shape given the said covering by the core-plate H. at the ends thereof.

When making pipe-coverings, the mold therefor is provided with bottom plates K, having lugs K for fastening the mold to the pipe A.

wall K, and on the outer ends of the said bottom plates are hinged pressing-plates K and K, and on the terminals of the bottom plates K are secured end plates 1 as plainly indicated in Fig. 11. The bottom plates K are also provided with a projection K and recess or grooveK for forming a tongue and groove in the finished pipe-covering.

The pipe-coverings are made in lengths of three or four feet, and in order to enable the operator to exert the necessary pressure on the plates K and K when pressing the ma terialin shape in the mold it is desirable'to provide the plates K and K with handles K", adapted to be taken hold of by. the operator for opening and closing the pressing-plates K and K of the mold. I

A locking device, such as a ring L, may be employed on the upper free ends of the handle K" to hold the pressing-plates K and K in a closed position during the drying and hardening process of the plastic mass within the mold.

\Vires N are preferably embedded in the plastic mass, the same as the wires F, previously described, and the ends of the wires of two pipe-covering sections are fastened together by twisting or otherwise, so as to securely hold the sections in a closed position, the sections being interlocked by the tongues and grooves.

In Figs. 13 and 14 is illustrated a mold for The inner edges of the bottom plates K are connected with each other by a core-' this case the mold has the end plates and 0', the diametrically-disposed partiti(in-plates O and O", and the pressing-plates made of two parts 0 and O, of which the part 0 is hinged to the outer end of the partition-plate (1) and the part 0 is hinged to the partitionplate 0. In this case the elbow-covering is made in two sections divided longitudinally, and the mold has walls provided, instead of the elbow itself, as a core, with a core-plate 0', representing one-half of the elbow, the core-plate connecting the partition-plates O and O with each other and also the end plates 0 and O. The partition-plates O and O are provided with a projection O and a groove or recess 0 for forming tongues-and grooves in the sectional elbow-covering to permit interlocking of the two sections when applied to the elbow. Wire is embedded in the plas- .tic mass for each covering-section, and the latter are also provided with canvas on the outside, as before explained in relation to the other coverings.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An apparatus for forming molded coverings, comprisinga heat-supply pipe, a mold secured thereon and consisting of a core representing thewhole or a portion of the exterior surface of the article to be covered by the covering, end plates on the core, and hinged pressing-plates for pressing the plastic material in shape on the core and against the end plates, as set forth.

2. A mold for forming molded coverings, comprising a core representing the whole or a portion of the external surface of the article to be covered by the covering, end plates on the ends of the core, and hinged pressingplates for inclosing the core and the plastic material and pressing the latter against the core and the end plates, as set forth 3. A mold for forming molded coverings, comprising a core representing the external surface of the article to be covered by the covering, end plates onthe ends of the core, hinged pressing-plates for inclosing the core and the plastic material and pressing the latter against the core and the end plates, and

longitudinally'extending portions connecting the end plates with each other and extending over opposite sides of the core, as set forth.

4. A mold for forming molded coverings, comprising a core representing the external surface of the article to be covered by the covering, end plates on the ends of the core, hinged pressing-plates for inclosing the core and the plastic material and pressingthe latter against the core and the end plates, and

tongues and grooves on the inside of the mold,

for forming grooves and tongues on the finished covering, as set forth.

- '5. A mold for forming molded coverings I from a plastic material, comprising a .core, a

' '5 from-a plastic material, comprising a core, a

bottom plate, end plates integral with the said bottom plate, and pressing-plates hinged on opposite sides of the bottom'plate, as set forth.

0 ,7. A mold for forming molded coverings from a plastic material, comprising a core, a

bottom plate having tongues and grooves, end

plates integral with the said bottom plate, and pressing-plates hinged on opposite sides of 5 the bottom plate, as set forth. 4

8. A mold for forming molded covering from a plastic material, comprising a core. a bottom plate, end plates integral with the said bottom plate, pressing-plites hinged on' opposite sides of the bottom plate, and longitudinal partitions connecting the end plates with each other, one of the partitions having a notch and the pressing-plates having openings ator near their hinges, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN W. WALLACE.

Witnesses:

THEO. G. HOSTER, WILLIAM F. ROBINSON. 

